Devon TRF Group Forum

Going in the opposite direction to Salisbury Plain, east from my home, eventually ends up here looking down on Chichester, the sea,  and the Isle of Wight (just visible on the horizon on the right).

 

 

 

Hmm, not my usual camera and a bit fuzzy. Anyway this is about a mile from Goodwood, and interestingly the view looks quite similar to another a long way further north on a trail that forks off from the A34 south of Newbury:

 

 

 

On the horizon is not sea this time but the South Downs which stretch east to where the previous pic was taken from. Continuing along:

 

 

Lovely, long trail, one of my favourites. Continuing west takes you to Combe Gibbet, which you can *just* see on the top of the hill in the distance, centre of the pic:

 

 

.

.

 

See, you really can!

 

But here it is close:

 

 

 

Where bizarrely this pheasant came right up to me, tame as you like, odd.

 

 

 

Wont last long in the shooting season

 

The previous pic gives a nice view of the ridge looking back east, and the curve is natural, not the camera lens.  In the same area a crackin slippery chalky hill awaits over the brow here:

 

 

Another second-hand (free!) tyre had to go on recently after a few months use shredded the previous one.

 

 

 

8mm of mud-ripping tread a Trelleborg Army Special a good trail tyre I reckon. That was prep for the next Larkhill horse event on Salisbury Plain, in early Nov. An hours ride from home in the most hideous conditions ever - pouring rain and temperatures just above freezing.  

 

Grim and more grim. I was completely frozen but the smooth-running DR remained unfazed by the whole experience making the ride a lot more bearable.

 

The rain eventually stopped:

 

 

Rainbow yay!

 

 

 

 

and had a great day in the end - the bike was a lot of fun with its punchy pick-up and endless drifts round the damp grassy course. Fantastic.

 

 

 

Seem to have carried a lot of the grass round with me by the looks:

 

 

 

Another ride  on a much warmer summers day has me heading further west on Salisbury Plain to visit Imber Village, open for just a few days each year. This is on the track in, normally out of bounds:

 

 

 

An adjoining road was named after the American soldiers trained here prior to the D-Day landings, WW2

 

 

 

And shows the church in the background, the only building untouched by the military. Unlike this:

 

 

 

And the old manor house:

 

 

 

The spent-cartridge demonstrates the areas current function, as does the road out west:

 

 

 

But home is in the other direction for me where this loose graded beauty awaits:

 

 

 

(do I need to say big wheelie). There are lots of more challenging dirt trails in the area but this one on the perimeter path is entertaining, dropping down and up steeper than it looks:

 

 

And we finish with a vintage-tractor ploughing match on the N edge of the Plain, Westbury-ish. It seems strangely apt:

 

 

 

Thanks Pete

 

Cold on this run but nice n sunny:

 

 

 

The furthest point west I ever go at the end of a crackin chalky climb. Neds  a bit of road to get here but its well worth it. Bognor Regis can be seen looking south and a bit east from here.

 

 

 

 

Quite muddy - most of it was actually!

 

 

 

Goodwood Race Course, a mile or 2 north from the motor circuits.

 

And nearing home, the sun is low, and the bike looks way shinier than it is in real life:

 

 

The old bike has run superbly and a very nice few hours out.

 

 

Next couple of runs and the top of Butser Hill:

 

 

 

Same area, looking towards East Meon:

 

 

 

My favourite picnic spot N of Chichester:

 

 

 

- The end of a long trail, sunshine and a bench - perfect!

 

 

And on the way home, this near Soberton:

 

 

 

Last two for now as the bike is out of action temorarily to replace some worn-out bits....

 

 

Try not to look at the black discs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a crackin trail south of Newbury, and part of the "Wayfarer's Walk"

 

 

Cheers all  :)

-- Edited by thedktor on Monday 24th of December 2012 11:03:04 AM

Thanks delvey91  

 

Sorry for the bump just doing some "admin".   Yes we have some good trails round here, I'm in Hampshire, with plenty of trails to the west in Wiltshire, a reasonable amount east into West Sussex, and a reasonable amount north into Berkshire.

 

I say "reasonable" as pre-NERC we had perhaps double the amount of trails 

 

That is why my bikes are always set up to be usable on the road with sensible gearing and balanced wheels - I have a lot of fun on the tarmac between trails   

Steve, thanks for the reminder to go and ride at SPTA again this year, did a weekend with some close riding friends last year and covered many miles.
Would like to know more about lanes outside of the plain, do you have marked maps that i could copy ?